4. Whatever the outcome of these fast-moving developments, I think it unlikely that, because of parliamentary privilege etc, we shall be able to give governments more than 24 hours' notice and it may be less.
5. Apart from the Hong Kong and India points mentioned above, the drafts, given the haste with which they have been prepared, seem as reasonable as our awkward stance permits. We continue to believe that we are being disingenuous, if not dishonest, in laying, as the drafts do, so much stress on the "new factor" of our not seeking derogation from the FEC Article 4 Agreements, but even on this point (and without knowing exactly what went on in FPC) it is somewhat difficult to argue strenuously with the drafting done by the DTI, but I know that ID(1) and FID(2) will wish specifically to comment on this aspect.
6.
We shall also need to bear in mind that the Minister of Overseas Development is in India and Mr Royle is travelling in South-East Asia and we may need to draft supplementary guidance to Delhi and wherever Mr Royle is on the crucial day.
J Dodds
2
Commodities Dept. G68A/G
G 114
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